The Greatest Punishment
by Goddess Of Glomps
Summary: After completely ruining a mission, Hinata and Sasuke are bound together with chakra strings and forced to stay together for a whole week. Can Sasuke get over his initial dislike? And can Hinata manage to stop being so shy and stand up for herself?
1. The Punishment

**Hey everyone! Andra here. First story on this account! I've got two other accounts, but this one is for my requests, mainly. Okay! First story is a request from my friend Hikari. Here's the full summary:**

**After completely ruining a mission, Hinata and Sasuke are bound together with chakra strings and forced to stay together for a whole week. Can Sasuke get over his initial dislike? And can Hinata manage to stop being so shy and stand up for herself?**

**Pairing: SasukeXHinata**

**Rating: T**

**Genre: Romance, Humor, Action/Adventure**

**Warnings: Swearing, partial OOC-ness**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto because I'm kind of not Kishimoto. If I did, Haku and Zabuza would still be alive /3.**

**Another note, I am aware that this is an extremely weird pairing, but this is for a friend. Unless I'm 100 against the pairing, I will take requests for just about anything. :: Shrug :: If you flame this because you don't like the pairing, then you fail at life.**

"Hinata! What are you doing?!"

They cry came from the onyx eyed shinobi behind the poor Hyûga girl. She ducked and then activated her Byakugan again, having been too afraid to leave it on previously. She ducked again, and moved her hand up, slamming her palm into the offending shinobi's arm. He gasped out and then swung at her with his other arm. As she brawled with him, the Uchiha behind her formed hand seals and then put his hand by his mouth, Sharingan eyes now activated and glaring at the man.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" he yelled. A giant fireball exploded from his mouth and hurled toward the Iwa shinobi. The shinobi cursed and dove to the side, the fireball sailing harmlessly over his head. After a quick Shunshin, the Iwa shinobi was behind Sasuke, his foot planted firmly on the Uchiha's back, shoving him to the ground.

"Shit," Sasuke muttered, growling lightly.

"Oi! Little girl! Give us the scroll, or your friend here dies!"

Hinata gasped and turned, the Iwa shinobi she was fighting taking the chance to grab her, one arm hanging limply to his side. Hinata froze, watching as the man knelt down and putting a chakra-restraining device on Sasuke's arm. She looked down and reached into her pouch.

"Hinata! Don't you dare!" Sasuke snapped, his eyes blazing furiously at her as his Sharingan was deactivated. Hinata's head snapped up and she gasped, looking at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but then she closed her mouth and ignored him, pulling out the scroll and giving it to the Iwa shinobi by her.

"Such a good girl," the man behind her smirked, then they both disappeared. Sasuke stood up, yanking the device off of his arm and throwing it with all his might at Hinata, who ducked to avoid getting hit.

"Why the _hell_ did you do that?! Do you realize that Konoha's alliance with Suna could be completely destroyed now?!" he snapped. Hinata just stayed down, holding her head. Sasuke growled in frustration and then disappeared, leaving Hinata there as he went to tell Tsunade of their mission.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!"

The angered yell of the Hokage could be heard practically echoing through Konoha. Hinata cowered in front of Tsunade and Sasuke stood there stoically.

"I… I…"

"Hush! I don't want to hear your excuses. That scroll holds vital information meant only for Gaara's hands! Seeing as the two of you are too incompetent to get it there in the first place, I'll send someone else to retrieve it and then give it to him. Now, get the hell out of my sight until I can think of something else for the two of you. Don't even think that you're getting away without a punishment. I'll call you back when I think of something."

"Hokage-sama, what the fu-"

"Sasuke! OUT!"

Sasuke's fist slammed into the tree in sheer rage. How _dare_ she get him into trouble?! If it would have been him, they could have killed Hinata for all he cared. He knew how valuable that scroll was for Konoha. Why did she have to go and fuck up their mission because of her damned morals? That guy couldn't have killed him anyway.

"Damnit!"

Sasuke launched another fist at the tree, his rage causing another dent. Bark flew around him and he shook his fist, ignoring his bleeding knuckles. His chakra still hadn't completely come back after that asshole Iwa nin put the restraining device on him. His onyx eyes glared at the tree. Damn, that pissed him off.

His rage was redirected as he caught sight of a bird in the air. The hawk circled above him and let out a high pitch screech. Sasuke glared slightly at the hawk before he took off toward the Hokage's office.

The Hyûga girl sat in a small café in Konoha, head in her hands. She knew she messed up, but she couldn't help it. She didn't think Sauske's life – Sasuke! Naruto's best friend, now that they had gotten over their differences – was worth some stupid scroll. Shows how much she messed up.

"Excuse me?! Do you want anything?!"

The aggravated and impatient voice snapped Hinata out of her misery and she looked up, cheeks a bright pink.

"N-no, s-sorry," Hinata stammered. The waitress sighed in frustration and bounced off, blonde hair bouncing back and forth. Hinata put her head back down on the table and sighed, eyes closing. Maybe she really wasn't meant to be a kunoichi. She screwed up too much. How much good was she if she was nothing but a screw up?!

A high-pitched screech caused Hinata's head to snap up, so fast she knocked a tray out of the server's hand as he walked behind her. She saw the hawk, and hastily went to help him get the plates and stuff back on the tray, apologizing profusely before she took off toward the Hokage's office. Tsunade had gotten their punishment thought up rather quickly…

A soft knock sounded on the door and Tsunade's angry voice snapped a, 'Come in!' Hinata opened the door slightly, poking her head in to see Sasuke leaning against one wall as far away from the chair in front of Tsunade's desk as possible. Tsunade wasn't even looking up, her gaze directed at the paperwork in front of her.

Hinata walked in and stood behind the chair, trying her best to ignore Sasuke's angry glare in her direction. No one in the room said anything as Tsunade signed the paper in front of her. After a few minutes of silence, Tsunade looked up and intertwined her fingers as she put her hands together on the desk.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Hyûga Hinata. You both have disappointed me today. I sent you on a simple mission to deliver something, a mission that should have been a breeze for two shinobi of your rank to do, even with an ambush. Instead, you give up the scroll to an enemy village simply because one of your teammates was being threatened," Tsunade broke off here and shook her head. "Therefore, you shall be punished. Both of you come and stand in front of my desk."

Sasuke growled, but did as he was asked, standing next to Hinata, who wouldn't look up. Tsunade took Hinata's right hand, and Sasuke's left hand, and then just held them for a moment. Hinata gasped and Sasuke's eyes widened. After a moment, Tsunade let go and sat back down.

"Congratulations. The two of you will be bound together by chakra for the next week."

**That's it for right now guys. Cliff-hanger!!! Kinda… sorta… not really. Anyway, next chapter, Tsunade will explain everything to Hinata and Sasuke.**

**Brief Glimpse of Chapter Two:**

Hinata's eyes widened as she watched Sasuke, unable to tear her gaze away from him. Her cheeks turned a bright pink and she gasped, biting her lip. Those dark eyes looked up at her, and Hinata nearly stumbled backward as she saw the hatred reflected in the depths of those eyes. How could one person hate someone, or anyone, that much? Hinata finally tore her silver gaze off of him and looked at the ground, her heart breaking.

**Ahaha. There ya go! **

**Chapter Two will be up whenever I can get it up… or 5 reviews. Yeah.**

**Review, please!  
Andra – Goddess of Glomps**


	2. Discovering Distances

**Omigosh! You guys made me so happy! Eight reviews in the first day! WOOO!**

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**0oFoxLovero0****: Thank you very much! Here's the next chapter!**

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**Maya Aquaria****: Well, my overall intention wasn't to make her stupid, but it kinda came out that way.**

**Mac2****: She did, but she thought that Sasuke would be killed. Thank you.**

**Kawaiiitahina123****: Yes, he can.**

**Kenshinlover2002****: It will all be explained in this chapter, and even why she did it. Thank you for the review!**

**Show.me.the.stars****: Thank you so much! As promised, the explanation will be here.**

**Okay, so, if you look through the reviews, Show.me.the.stars asked me about their age. I really hadn't thought about it previously, but I thought about it a little last night, and I've come up with a conclusion. It's going to be after Naruto returns from the training with Jiraiya, but we're going to make it a bit alternate universe. It won't follow the basic storyline of the manga. We'll say Sasuke left, but escaped Orochimaru and returned to Konoha, where he and Hinata were promoted to ANBU, thus, the mission. Okay? So they're like… seventeen or eighteen. Yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, things would have worked out differently. **

"Congratulations. The two of you will be bound together by chakra for the next week."

"Week?!" Sasuke exclaimed, his anger evident. "A whole week? How are we supposed to train and even live if we're attached to each other?!" Tsunade shrugged.

"Not my problem anymore, Sasuke," she stated, watching him with a frown. Hinata was blushing. "Now, to explain further. The reason I'm doing this is because it's obvious by your behavior on the mission that the two of you don't know how to work together, and Sasuke, I'd say you flat out despise Hinata. So, you're going to live with her, or she'll live with you, for the next week. This should get the two of you on friendlier terms, as well as teach you both a lesson."

"That's it. I'm out of here," Sasuke said, starting to walk towards the door. Tsunade watched him, eyes narrowed, and Hinata looked at him, not moving. Since he could walk and Hinata wasn't being dragged around, they thought she had been bluffing, though when she did it, they felt a tug at their chakra. Right as Sasuke walked out the door, a cry of pain escaped Hinata's lips and a thud sounded outside, almost as though Sasuke had been thrown to the ground. Tsunade smirked as Sasuke entered the room once more.

"Okay, you win. What the fuck just happened?" Sasuke asked as Hinata sat down.

"Like I told you: you've been connected with chakra. This means that you cannot get too far away from each other. Apparently, you can get right behind the door of another room before you end up told that it's far enough. You'll have to experiment with it, however. I didn't set the limit. Your chakra does that," Tsunade said. Sasuke looked at Hinata, who sighed softly.

"Where are we living? Father won't allow Sasuke-san in the house," Hinata said, her voice soft as always. Tsunade shrugged once more.

"That's something for the two of you to work out. I have no say in this. Now, leave, so that I can get back to this shit-job, please." Tsunade looked at the paper on her desk, ignoring the two ANBU still in her office.

"Let's go," Sasuke said, glowering at both Hinata and Tsunade as Hinata stood and began walking with him. As they left the room, Tsunade looked up at the door as Kakashi and Kurenai appeared in the doorway.

"Hokage-sama, with all due respect, aren't you going a bit overboard on them?" Kurenai asked, red eyes watching where the two had just been.

"No."

"She's right, Kurenai-san. This is what Sasuke needs more than anything. He needs to be attached to someone who can, no offense, slow him down, so he can learn what it's like to be on a team," Kakashi stated, arms folded lazily over his chest. Kurenai looked at him before looking at Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama, with all due respect, I don't think this is the right decision to be making for her. She'll fall apa-" Tsunade's sharp gaze moved to Kurenai.

"Kurenai, I understand your position on this, but it's not up for debate. This is something the two of them need to work out. Hinata's a pushover, and Sasuke's the right person to get her out of that. And Sasuke is an arrogant bastard, and Hinata's the right person to snap him out of that. I'm not debating this; I'm not changing my mind. Either you like it, or you don't. Now, can I please get back to work?"

Hinata followed Sasuke to his apartment. She had been as polite as possible explaining to him that her father would kindly snap her neck and wrap her small intestine around her throat if he found out that she was going to attempt to stay at his house with Sasuke. He had grudgingly agreed to let her stay with him, since they'd both be in extraordinary pain if they were too far apart.

Once they got to his apartment, Sasuke simply opened the door, not worried about anyone breaking into the small apartment. Once Hinata entered, she closed the door and looked around, noticing the plain white walls, bare counters, and overall lonely atmosphere. This was a person who was used to living on his own, without anyone there to help him, to make his food, to clean up after him. It would have broken Hinata's heart, had she not gotten distracted at that very moment.

Sasuke, without any regard for the female in the room, grabbed the bottom of his shirt and took it off, throwing it on the chair before stretching out. Hinata's eyes widened as she watched Sasuke, unable to tear her gaze away from him. Her cheeks turned a bright pink and she gasped, biting her lip. Those dark eyes looked up at her, and Hinata nearly stumbled backward as she saw the hatred reflected in the depths of those eyes. How could one person hate someone, or anyone, that much? Hinata finally tore her silver gaze off of him and looked at the ground, her heart breaking.

"Make yourself comfortable," Sasuke said, his tone sarcastic as he moved to go in the other room.

"Wait!" Hinata yelled, but not soon enough, for she gasped in pain, and Sasuke hit the floor again.

"DAMNIT, TSUNADE!"

After a few moments of experimenting, Hinata and Sasuke found out that there couldn't be a wall between the two of them. Hinata didn't seem to see any huge problem with this until Sasuke looked her dead in the eye and informed her that he wanted to take a shower. Then, she turned blood red and nearly fainted.

"You'll just have to stand in the doorway with your back to me," Sasuke said, shrugging. He didn't seem to see any issues with this, but Hinata did. Alas, the Hyûga girl did as she was asked and followed Sasuke to the bathroom, turning her back and standing in the doorway, fiddling with her fingers as Sasuke took his time taking a shower. The whole time, her mind was running with ideas of everything, and she turned so red she nearly fainted again. Sasuke was blissfully unaware of this. At least, until Hinata really did faint and fall through the doorway, causing a sharp, electric pain to snap him out of his unawareness.

He jumped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist and hoisted Hinata up, pulling her into the bathroom, and getting back in the shower, grumbling about how useless the Hyûga girl was.

After a lot of complaining, blushing, and near-faints, Sasuke and Hinata were working on figuring out who was sleeping where. Well, Sasuke was doing most of the talking.

"Well, I'm not giving up my bed and there's not enough room for two people in there," Sasuke said. Hinata said nothing, looking at the ground.

"… Maybe you could sleep on the couch and I could sleep on the floor," Sasuke said. Hinata said nothing, staring at the ground.

"… Or you could sleep outside in a tree somewhere, chakra pulling be damned."

Hinata said nothing, staring at the ground.

"Damnit, what is wrong with you?! Are you mute or something?" Sasuke snapped. Hinata blushed and looked up at him.

"It's your house," she said, looking back down. "Whatever you want is fine."

"This is going to be a very long week…"

**I know this chapter is a little short, and I apologize. I ran out of muse halfway through, but managed to pull the other half together. I was going for some humor in the second part, but I don't know if it worked.**

**Brief Glimpse of the Next Chapter**

Her heartbeat sped up as he closed in on her, his lips going closer to hers. What was he doing? Didn't he hate her? That ever-present blush stained her cheeks. Her breathing was uneasy. Was he…?

**Next chapter comes with five more reviews guys!**

**Peace!**


	3. Interrupted

**Hey guys. I know that took longer than it did before on a new chapter, but I kind of ran out of muse for it. And I don't test my muse. The result always sucks. Okay! Here we go!**

**EvilAngel767****: Sorry you weren't thanked in the last chapter. Your review came just a few minutes too late. Thank you!**

**Mac2****: Haha. I'm glad you liked it.**

**Maya Aquaria****: Thank you!**

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**Bitter-Blood-Sacrifice****: I'm glad you like it so much! Here's chapter three!**

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**Hyuuga121****: Whoa. Thanks a bunch!**

_**--**_

"This is going to be a very long week…"

Before bed, the two had agreed to sleep in the living room, Sasuke giving Hinata the couch and sleeping on the floor. During the night, the Hyûga girl had wanted to get a drink of water, but the knowledge of what it would do to Sasuke stopped her from it. She sighed softly and then lay back down, staring up at the ceiling.

"Hinata…"

She opened her eyes, hearing the voice, unaware that she had even closed them. At that moment, Sasuke was standing over her, onyx eyes boring into her silver ones, as though they could see her soul. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out and she swallowed instead.

Sasuke then leaned in, the distance between them closing, and Hinata's eyes widened. Her heartbeat sped up as he closed in on her, his lips going closer to hers. What was he doing? Didn't he hate her? That ever-present blush stained her cheeks. Her breathing was uneasy. Was he…?

"Hinata! Wake your lazy ass up!"

The Hyûga's eyes shot open this time, and she stared at the ceiling, the sun shining in from the window. She glanced over at Sasuke, a blush on her cheeks.

"Jeez. I thought you were going to sleep all day. I need to change. Do you want the shower?" Sasuke asked, onyx eyes glaring at her again. Hinata nodded slowly and Sasuke sighed.

"Let me get my clothes first then," he said. Hinata walked with him into his room, waiting by the door as he grabbed some clean clothes. Then, the two of them walked back into the living room because Hinata had forgotten to grab her change of clothes.

While Hinata was in the shower, Sasuke was thinking. Basically, they had a week to be stuck together. But, if Tsunade thought it necessary, then she'd make them stay together longer unless he proved that he could be nicer to her. The Godaime Hokage was horrible like that. So, that's what Sasuke would do. He'd attempt to be nicer to her. Starting now.

"Hi-"

Right as Sasuke was about to speak, the doorbell rang, and the Uchiha's eyes narrowed. Who the hell would be at his door?

"Hinata, hurry up!" Sasuke snapped. The Hyûga blushed, but rinsed off her body and grabbed a towel, quickly drying herself off as the doorbell rang again, and getting dressed, following Sasuke to the door.

He looked through the peephole and groaned, nearly smacking himself in the face. He whipped around to face Hinata.

"Alright, here's what we're gonna do. If Naruto finds out what happened to me, I'll never hear the end of it. So, instead, we're going to pretend like you got kicked out of your house and I let you stay here," Sasuke said.

"But I-"

"You're right. That won't explain why we're in the same room. Okay, I took you in because we're d-" Sasuke looked like he was about to gag as he attempted to say the word. "Da... Dat… Dating."

Hinata turned blood red and nearly fell over again as a pounding sounded at the door.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

It was Sakura's voice, of course, which caused Hinata's eyes to widen.

"No. No no no no no no no no no… I don't want to do this!" she said, looking up at Sasuke.

"Well, too bad," he said, opening the door to glare at his pink-haired teammate as Hinata stood, hiding behind the wall. She didn't want to lose her friendship with Sakura, as weak as it was, because she thought that Hinata was dating Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun! Can I come in?!" Sakura asked, walking right on in anyway. Sasuke growled and closed the door, turning to face Sakura with his hands over his chest.

"What?" Sasuke asked. Sakura turned around, and then saw Hinata, her hair wet, blushing and staying at the floor. She blinked, staring between the two of them before stopping on Hinata.

"Hinata-chan… What are you doing here?" she asked, confused.

"I... um... we…" Hinata stammered, staring at the ground.

"Her dad kicked her out," Sasuke stated. Sakura stared at Hinata incredulously. The Hyûga nodded and stared at the ground.

"Oh! You poor thing!" Sakura said, wrapping her arms around Hinata in a hug. Hinata blushed and shakily patted Sakura's back. Sakura moved away and looked at Sasuke.

"And you offered to take her in, didn't you, Sasuke-kun, you sly boy." It was statement, not a question, and Sakura dragged Hinata to the couch and sat down before Sasuke or Hinata could protest. Sakura began to play with Hinata's hair, messing with it this way and that way before finally figuring out how she wanted to do it.

"N-no, Sakura-chan… Please, don't. I'd rather my hair be like it is," Hinata said, only to be stopped by Sakura.

"Nonsense! What girl doesn't like her hair to be played with?" Sakura asked, standing up. Sasuke's hand was on her arm, eyes narrowed, glaring at her.

"She just said she wanted her hair like it was. That means no, Sakura."

Sakura's blue-green eyes were staring at him in mild anger and slight shock, while Hinata was a bright red and staring at the ground. Sakura yanked her arm away and looked between the two of them, a frown on her face.

"What… What's going on?" she asked, feeling like she was the victim of a bad joke.

"… Out…" Hinata mumbled, having admitted defeat already.

"… What?"

"She said, we're going out," Sasuke clarified.

_**--**_

**Oooooh. The plot thickens! What will Sakura do? Will Hinata die of blood loss? Okay, just kidding. I know it's shorter than the rest, and I apologize, but my muse is draining. I'll try to make the next one really long for you, okay?**

**Brief Glimpse of Next Chapter**

"Naruto, don't touch her!" Sasuke yelled, struggling against the ropes that held him, forgetting, for a moment, that he was a ninja. Naruto laughed, holding Hinata's unconscious body to him.

"Why not, Sasuke? Why are you being so protective? Anyway, I gotta go…"

**Wheeee! Five reviews for next chapter, though that shouldn't be a problem for you, my lovely readers!**


	4. Attacked!

**Yo! Sorry it's been so long since my last update. See… My old computer fried. Yeah. It won't turn on. At all. So, I had to get a new one. Now, I have my new one and everything's good, but I'm still in the process of getting used to it. Anywho, everything's been pretty hectic here, but I didn't forget about this!**

**Oh, a note, I'm not doing Reviewer Responses anymore unless someone has a question. It's too hard to try to think of something entertaining to say to everyone and create the actual chapter. ) So… I'm not sure if I'll keep up the Brief Glimpse into Next Chapter thing or not. Let me know what ya'll think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. :: Sigh ::**

"She said, we're going out," Sasuke clarified. Sakura blinked a few times, eyes looking between Sasuke and Hinata. She waited. Hinata waited, blushing. Sasuke waited, arms crossed over his chest.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

The cry had to have echoed through Konoha. Sasuke felt like his ears were about to bleed. Hinata was dazed, to say the least. Sakura began rambling, speaking so fast that neither of the ANBU could understand the medical nin as she rambled, walking around Sasuke's living room, moving so fast that Sasuke was beginning to worry for his hardwood floors. If they fell apart because she was moving so much, he'd kill her. He liked the hardwood.

"Sakura-chan! Please, s-" Hinata's eyes widened and she winced as though she had been hit. Sakura had turned hurt and angry aquamarine eyes at Hinata.

"Hinata-chan… I thought you were my friend," she glanced at Sasuke, who glared. "How… could you. You know how I feel about him…" Hinata looked at the ground, hurt. She hadn't meant to hurt Sakura. After this was all over, Hinata would go and tell Sakura what happened, but she couldn't. Not right now. Not with Sasuke right there.

"I… I'm sorry, Sakura-chan…" Hinata mumbled, looking at her hands in her lap. Sakura turned her angry gaze to Sasuke, giving him a glare before leaving. Sakura had her own plans for revenge. She knew of Hinata's crush on Naruto, so she was going to get her own revenge.

"Hinata, is there anything you want?" Sasuke asked, determined to continue his attempt and kindness after the whole Sakura incident. Though he'd never admit it, he felt kind of bad for how Sakura had been looking at Hinata. It wasn't even… no; it was Hinata's fault, but still. Hinata shook her head, staring at the ground as she walked. She had bumped into six people, four cats, and three dogs. She apologized every single time, but she didn't look up. Sasuke couldn't stand girls. So confusing. The only reason she even came was because she had to. She'd probably have been content to just lay there on the couch and eat ice cream while watching those ninja soaps or something.

"Oi! Sasuke!"

Sasuke winced at the voice and groaned. Hinata turned bright red and didn't look up. Sasuke turned his head to look at the blond. The blond looked… happy. That was going to piss Sasuke off.

"What do you want, Naruto?" Sasuke snapped.

"K-konnichiwa… Naruto-kun," Hinata mumbled. Naruto waved to her absently. He looked at Sasuke's angry black eyes and grinned.

"Sakura told me that she wanted to be my girlfriend!" Naruto exclaimed. Hinata's head came up lightning fast and her eyes were wide. Her face lost all color, which wasn't usual for her and she looked… hurt. Sasuke ignored Naruto to look at Hinata.

"Hi… Hinata?" he asked, frowning lightly. _Why do I care?!_ He asked himself, grumbling mentally. Apparently, he cared enough, however, because he put his hand on her arm, only to have her jerk it away in a very non-Hinata way and look back at the ground, eyes clenched shut, and fists clenched. Sasuke looked at Naruto.

"That's just great," he muttered, shaking his head and turning to Hinata. "Should we leave?" he asked, his voice a whisper. Naruto didn't seem to notice and saw something behind them, because he took off. Whatever. Sasuke didn't care. Hinata nodded and they turned, walking back to Sasuke's with her eyes on the ground.

Meanwhile, Tsunade was holding a meeting again. This time, it was with Shikamaru.

"Mendokuse… do I have to do this?" Shikamaru asked, hands resting in his pockets as he looked at the Hokage. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him and nodded once. He sighed and shook his head, bowing once before turning and walking slowly out of the office.

"Shikamaru."

The Jonin turned around, raising and eyebrow. Tsunade glared at him.

"By tonight."

Sasuke fixed something for both of them to eat while Hinata just sat at the table, glaring at it like it was the cause of her anger. It occurred to Sasuke that he was probably the only one who had _ever_ seen the Hyûga angry. He placed the plate of curry in front of her and she blinked, the anger fading off of her face as she looked at him confused. Apparently, Hinata hadn't been paying a bit of attention to him. He frowned and sat down across from her and began eating. She blinked and then followed his example. A small part of her was surprised that he could cook as well as he could. She had to admit that a small part of her was surprised that he was as handsome as he was. Maybe knowing that Naruto was no longer hers had opened her eyes. It had jumpstarted her rage, after all.

"Arigato, Sasuke-kun," she said softly, eating the curry. Sasuke looked up and nodded, shrugging it off. It wasn't like it was a five-star course or anything. She was probably used to something more. Something ate at Sasuke's stomach with that realization and he pushed his plate aside. Hinata blinked and looked up at him confused.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, eyes wide. He shook his head and moved to get rid of the curry.

"Just not that hungry," he muttered. Hinata blinked, but continued to eat. Sasuke turned to look back at him until he saw something fly through the window at Hinata.

"Hinata! Watch out!"

Sasuke threw himself at Hinata and ended up knocking the chair over, and the shruiken that had been thrown cut the back of his shirt and managed to leave a relatively shallow cut across his back. Hinata shook her head and looked at him.

"Sasuke-kun, you're hurt!" she cried out. He shook his head and stood up.

"Don't worry about me. Come on! My supplies are in the other room," he said, helping Hinata up, who ducked to avoid another shruiken coming at them. Sasuke dove, grabbing his equipment as whomever it was smashed through his kitchen window and made their way toward the duo. All Sasuke saw was a flash of blond before Hinata activated her Byakugen and got in her stance. Sasuke jumped up from behind her and threw six shruiken in various directions. Hinata seemed to have found him, because she launched forward, a devastating palm thrust aimed at the enemy. Before she could touch him though, she froze and fell forward.

"Hinata!" Sasuke cried, growling under his breath as he went to form hand seals. However, his concern for Hinata managed to distract him, and he was grabbed from behind, his hands quickly tied behind his back.

"Damnit!" he swore, growling under his breath again. He looked up at his attacker and saw…

"Naruto, don't touch her!" Sasuke yelled, struggling against the ropes that held him, forgetting, for a moment, that he was a ninja. Naruto laughed, holding Hinata's unconscious body to him.

"Why not, Sasuke? Why are you being so protective? Anyway, I gotta go…"

"Naruto! Don't you da-" Sasuke was cut off by a spasm of pain that rippled through his body. Hinata gasped and arched in Naruto's arms and cried out in pain. Then, Sasuke remembered he was a ninja and quickly undid the ropes on his wrists, but as Naruto got farther away, Sasuke's body rocked with pain, as did Hinata's, for she cried out loudly. Sasuke kept trying to get farther, his only clue to where in Konoha Hinata might be was the lessening of pain as he got closer to her.

**Alright. That's it for right now. I'm not going to do the Brief Glimpse this chapter, only because I have no idea what might be in next chapter, so… Sorry. Anyway… **

**Five reviews will prompt me to begin the next chapter!**

**-Andra**


	5. A Different Kind of Pain

**Holy crap you guys review like crazy!! I'm so happy. TT So yeah. Since I didn't do a Brief Glimpse last chapter, I'll do a Rewind this chapter and remind you what happened last chapter.**

"Naruto! Don't you da-" Sasuke was cut off by a spasm of pain that rippled through his body. Hinata gasped and arched in Naruto's arms and cried out in pain. Then, Sasuke remembered he was a ninja and quickly undid the ropes on his wrists, but as Naruto got farther away, Sasuke's body rocked with pain, as did Hinata's, for she cried out loudly. Sasuke kept trying to get farther, his only clue to where in Konoha Hinata might be was the lessening of pain as he got closer to her.

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Again. Listen the first time. :O**

Sasuke swore vividly. Hinata was gone, as far as he could tell. It didn't hurt so much right here, but where could she be?? He was out in the middle of a damn field with absolutely nothing in it! The pain wasn't getting better, but it wasn't getting worse either. That meant Naruto wasn't moving. Why on earth would Naruto take Hinata to the middle of a field? It didn't make any sense. Sasuke glared and then pondered over what had happened in the past two days.

That was all it had been. Sasuke couldn't believe that in just two days his whole outlook on life could be changed. Sure, he still wanted to kill his asshole bastard brother, but seriously. What about after that? His only goal in life had been to get strong enough to kill Itachi, but what about after? Provided he lived (and he would), and provided he wasn't badly injured (he wouldn't be), what was he going to do? He couldn't very well return to Konoha and try to live his life normally. Being an avenger was the only thing he'd ever known. He sighed and pushed his hair out of his face.

What if he could continue his life in Konoha? Maybe even with… No. She wouldn't ever accept him after this. He couldn't even protect her from _Naruto_. How was he supposed to protect her from anyone who might come after her when he killed Itachi? Itachi might be a stuck up, clan-killing asshole, but he had to have someone who would want to avenge _him_.

"Hinata…"

Naruto put Hinata down on the bench and sighed, a puff of smoke overtaking his appearance before Shikamaru stood there, one hand on his hip, the other on the back of his head. An annoyed expression was on his face.

"Mendokuse," he muttered, putting something under Hinata's nose. The Hyûga girl shot up, eyes wide open. She looked around confused for a little bit before she looked at Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru-kun!" she exclaimed. Shikamaru raised one hand before sitting down. Hinata tilted her head before she frowned. "Why'd you do that?"

"Do what?" the Nara asked, frowning.

"Kidnap me!" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and started at her. She crossed her arms indignantly, and a very non-Hinata expression rested on her face.

"How'd you know it was me?" It was Hinata's turn to stare at Shikamaru, though her expression was more confused that incredulous, like his had been.

"Naruto-k… kun wouldn't have done it like that," Hinata said, looking down sadly. Shikamaru frowned.

"Damn it," Shikamaru said. He sighed and scratched the back of his head, looking at Hinata. "Look. I only did it because Tsunade told me I had to. She wanted to see if Sasuke would try to protect you just because of the link or if it would be because he realized that he couldn't just do everything solo." Hinata's head shot up and she turned a bright red. Shikamaru stared at her.

"H-how much longer are we down here then?" She asked. Shikamaru sighed.

"Until he figures out exactly where we are."

Sasuke was getting frustrated. He couldn't figure out where she was. If he walked three steps to the left or right, the pain got worse. So, it was only logical to assume that she was _right there_. BUT WHERE WAS THERE?! Sasuke stopped mid-step and looked down.

_Of course._

She had to be under him. If the pain got worse from him just taking three steps, then she had to be right there. And if she wasn't in plain sight, she was underground. Sasuke thought quickly and formed some hand seals, muttering something under his breath before a giant fireball launched at the ground, burning a hole through to an underground lair.

A scream was heard, along with a yelp as Sasuke jumped down. The scream belonged to a girl, by the pitch, and the yelp was definitely _not_ Naruto.

"Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

That was Shikamaru's voice. Sasuke stood up and looked at him. What the hell was Shikamaru doing there? A small cough caught Sasuke's attention. That small cough made time stand still. Sasuke couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't blink. He was frozen in town.

"Ow…"

Sasuke turned around and saw Hinata partially crushed under some rubble. She was trying to push the biggest slab off. Sasuke rushed over and pushed it off for her, offering her his hand. She looked at him, tears in her eyes. It hurt. Sasuke was frozen again. Except, this one was worse. He felt… horrible. He wanted to run away from that look in her eyes, tear his heart out, kill himself for hurting her. He knew it was his fault. He was the one who had recklessly just destroyed the earth.

"-kun, I can't stand up…"

Hinata's voice sounded so horribly broken. Sasuke knelt down and carefully picked her up. Shikamaru was watching all of this silently. Whether Hinata realized it or not, she curled up to Sasuke and looked at her leg. It was either sprained or broken, but it was bleeding either way. Sasuke looked at her and offered her a very small smile, one that Shikamaru couldn't see.

"We'll go to Tsunade-sama and have her fix it," he said. He turned angry black eyes to Shikamaru who shrugged him off, before he took off.

**Wooo! There's chapter five ya'll. That chapter made me sad while I was typing it. Once again, no Brief Glimpse in this chapter. If you don't like it, lemme know and I'll re-institute it. **

**Thanks!**

**Goddess of Glomps**


	6. The Sweetest Thing

WOOO

**WOOO!! I are back. :B Okay, so now that I'm done with that. Hey ya'll! How ya doin? Everything's great here. So, I got to thinking, and maybe this story will only be seven chapters long. Then, I realized they'd only been 'bonded' together for like… two days. Sooo… Maybe it'll be longer. Not sure yet.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own. Omgushldnobynow**

Sasuke was still carrying her. Hinata knew her face was pink, but she was slowly paling. She was losing a steady amount of blood due to her leg. She whimpered lightly, but he heard it. He looked down, obsidian eyes worried. It was a new look for Sasuke, and it made Hinata blush again.

She was sweating. This wasn't good. Sasuke felt like ripping his heart out, just to stop the pain.

"Hold on, Hinata," he muttered, picking up the speed as he headed for Tsunade's office. It was kind of ironic to think of how much he was relying on her help right now when he had vowed to hate her forever for the hell he thought he had put through. He realized now that he owed her a lot.

He kicked the door open, causing a pair of angry brown eyes to land on the unconscious Hyûga in his arms. She stood up and formed hand seals, her hands glowing as she snapped at him to hold Hinata steady and went to work. He knew how important it was, and it took all his self control to keep his hands steady. He felt tears welling up behind his eyes. He hadn't cried since he found his parents dead. If she died…

Sasuke shook his head to snap out of it. She _wasn't_ going to die. Not from a broken leg. There was no way in _hell_ he was going to let her. If he had to go… wherever she went (probably Heaven, he mused) and get her out, then he would. His lips were moving, but no sound came out. They were moving quickly, rapidly, almost as though he was saying a prayer. Tsunade wasn't paying attention.

A soft gasp of pain caused Sasuke's eyes to drop to Hinata as her eyes flew open and she groaned. Tsunade pulled her hands away and looked at Sasuke.

"It's broken. She can't be on it for the remainder of your week, at the least. After the bond is broken, she can come back here and I'll check it out. I'm not even going to ask how this happened, but I do warn you to be more careful, Sasuke," Tsunade said. Sasuke didn't pay her any mind, just nodded absently and went back to his house, not letting Hinata go.

Her mind was spinning. She wasn't dead, but Sasuke would have put her down by now… right? She blinked as he put her down on the couch and then sat down next to her. She didn't say a word for a minute, but when she did, her voice was weak.

"How are we going to get into the other rooms?"

Sasuke looked at her, and nearly laughed. Everything she had gone through, all the pain he put her through, and she still wanted to know how they were gong to get into different rooms if she couldn't walk.

"I'll carry you."

Hinata turned red and Sasuke did too. His was a more subtle red than hers was. He leaned forward, captivated by her eyes. She glanced at his lips, then back at his eyes, her heart fluttering. Everything else faded away as he closed the distance between them, his eyes drifting down to her lips. Then—

They touched.

Something came alive in Hinata. As he pressed his lips against hers, Hinata felt herself really come alive. She moved her arms to his shoulders, before they wrapped around his neck, and her eyes closed. His hands moved to her waist, ever careful of her leg as his tongue eased out from between his lips and gently licked her lip. A second of hesitation was all that shown from Hinata before she allowed him entrance into her mouth. His tongue dove in, conquering, toying with hers. Hinata responded, her tongue battling with his. In his surprise, Sasuke stopped, which allowed Hinata to gain domination. After a moment or two, Sasuke gently broke the kiss, opening his eyes to look at Hinata.

Her lips were red, puffy from his kiss. Her eyelids fluttered open, but she didn't move her arms. She watched him, cheeks tinged pink. He smiled and she felt herself melt, but she smiled shyly back.

"Hinata… I…" Sasuke started, but was stopped by one of Hinata's arms moving, one finger gently stopping his words by touching his lips.

"It's okay. You don't have to say it," she said, blushing again. "But I think I love you too."

**That's it for this chapter. Now, before you get all pissed, "ANDRA! HOW COULD YOU!", I have a good explanation! **

**The kiss was so cute it needed its own chapter, even if it is short. So, the next chapter should come soon, but I need my reviews! Five and you get a chapter. Sounds like a deal to me. ******

**-Goddess of Glomps**


	7. Plotting Revenge

So, I realize that it's been more than five reviews, but things have been pretty hectic

**So, I realize that it's been more than five reviews, but things have been pretty hectic. Anyway! Moving along! Some people agreed with me about last chapter's meaning. The whole having a whole chapter dedicated to their kiss. Some people didn't. Either way, that's what you got. Fair warning, Sakura's kind of a bitch in this chapter.**

**Thanks for the reviews! Here we go!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Sorry.**

Sasuke and Hinata spent the next few days of her recovery in pure bliss. No worries, no screaming, no interruptions. Hinata had even forgotten about her 'betrayal' to Sakura. However, Sakura hadn't forgotten.

The pink haired girl was plotting. Obviously, dating Naruto hadn't done enough to get Hinata away from Sasuke; it had only drawn them closer together! That wasn't going to do for Sakura's plan. She was getting tired of having Naruto around all the time anyway. How did one guy get so annoying?! It was becoming more of a burden than anything else.

Dumping him did have its perks. It would crush him and Hinata in one fell swoop. That was a good thing. Maybe… no. Crushing Hinata wouldn't have that good of a drawback. Then she'd get all upset and sad, and Sasuke would… No, he wouldn't! It'd work perfectly! Sasuke might have changed a bit, but he wasn't going to be a comforting man. He never was. Sakura's turquoise eyes widened as she smirked. This was going to be fun.

Hinata sighed softly as Sasuke put her on the counter in the kitchen so that she could be in the same room while he made them rice and soup. Her silver eyes watched him calmly and she jumped slightly when a knock sounded on the door. She looked toward it, and Sasuke turned, frowning. He grabbed Hinata and took her to the chair by the door, sitting her down. She smiled and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. Sasuke opened the door to meet a familiar blond head.

"Naruto?" he asked, surprised. Naruto weakly raised one hand, trying to smile, but failed miserably. 

"Eh… Hi," he said, looking at Hinata too. Sasuke moved and let him in, closing the door behind him. Hinata opened one door and went to stand, but Naruto waved his hands in front of him.

"No, Hinata-chan! Stay sitting down so you don't mess up your leg, okay?" he said. Hinata smiled and nodded, blushing slightly. Sasuke wasn't bothered by this. He accepted that he was still her first crush, her first love. However, Sasuke was her first boyfriend. That meant something. Hinata must have seen something in Naruto's face.

"Naruto-kun… What's wrong?" she asked. Sasuke glanced back toward the kitchen and then looked at Naruto. If he burned the rice, it wouldn't hurt him to restart it after Naruto had left. Naruto sighed and looked down.

"Sakura-chan… dumped me," he muttered, not looking up. Hinata gasped softly, her hand covering her mouth, and Sasuke immediately glared at nothing in particular. Sakura had originally done it to get back at Hinata. Sasuke knew that. But why would she break up with Naruto? Was she still obsessed with the idea of revenge? If so, Sasuke had to admit that it was petty and stupid. Hinata leaned forward, gently placing one hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Oh, Naruto-kun… Sakura-san will never know what she missed. You're a great guy!" she said. Naruto shrugged absently and looked out the window. Sasuke watched Naruto and frowned.

"Naruto, why'd you come here?" he asked.

"… I don't know. I just thought that I should," he said before he attempted another weak smile and raised one hand, walking out of the house. Hinata looked at Sasuke and her eyes were wide and sad. Sasuke gently picked her up, sighing softly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. He walked to the kitchen and turned off the beeping rice maker and the stove before he put Hinata down on the counter and stood between her legs, gently taking one of her hands.

"Hinata…" he started, only to be interrupted.

"No, Sasuke-kun. Naruto-kun wanted to be with Sakura-san so bad… but then she dumped him. And why? Because I was supposedly dating the one that Sakura-san wanted…" Hinata looked down, fighting back tears. "Why, Sasuke-kun? Why does he have to be hurt by all this? He didn't… deserve… any of it…"

Hinata's shoulders were shaking now, and she was crying. She put her head in her hands and hating herself. If she had told Sasuke she didn't like his plan for them to date, this wouldn't have happened to Naruto. Naruto didn't deserve it. It was her fault… All her…

"Stop."

Hinata looked up, silver eyes luminous. She looked at Sasuke, who was glaring out the tiny kitchen window.

"Wha-?"

"Hinata, I don't like seeing… you sad… It's not your fault. I was the one who suggested it. But that's not the point. The point is that we do love each other. We'll figure out what to do about Sakura. We will."

Sasuke's words helped to settle Hinata's turbulent mind, but at the same time, she couldn't shake the guilt. She felt bad because she _had_, inadvertently, hurt Naruto and Sakura. But then again, she really did love Sasuke. She sighed softly and rested her head on Sasuke's chest. Sasuke gently brushed his fingers through her long hair. He had to admit that he liked long hair.

"Hinata… We'll figure something out to get back at Sakura, okay?"

"No, Sasuke-kun. I don't want to get back at her. I'm sick of her petty games of jealousy," Hinata whispered. Sasuke nodded once, but didn't stop plotting.

Sakura growled, stomping through the hospital. She was supposed to be on duty, but she was too mad. She had seen Sasuke and Hinata together again! Her dumping Naruto didn't do a thing! Maybe she should try to get back at Hinata by other means. Maybe… Maybe she could do something to Kiba or Shino. No. Those two were freaks. Neji maybe? Sakura shivered. Neji scared her. Then it hit Sakura, who was literally smacked in the face by a clipboard. She snapped at the nurse who did it, yelling something like, "Bitch! Watch where you're going!"

Hanabi.

Of course, she couldn't manipulate the younger Hyûga girl like she could boys, but at the same time, it shouldn't be too hard. Hanabi was… twelve? Thirteen? It shouldn't be too hard. Sakura seemed to cheer up throughout the hospital as she walked by, which put several nurses on alert.

Hanabi raised an eyebrow. Medical training? Since when? But, this pink-haired medic-nin was convincing her father and flattering him so much, that Hanabi didn't think she'd have a real choice. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the rather hyper medic nin. Pink hair, blue-green-aquamarine eyes, red dress. Hanabi nearly groaned aloud as she realized who it was.

Haruno Sakura. Hinata's "best" friend.

What a bore! She had to spend how long with this woman if her father agreed? Hanabi sighed and turned to leave the room.

"Where are you going, Hanabi?"

"To pack. You're not going to tell her no, so I might as well," Hanabi said. Her father shrugged and faced Sakura, sealing the deal and setting up a date for Hanabi to be back by.

Hinata watched Sasuke as he trained. She couldn't do much of anything due to her leg, but that didn't seem a giant problem for Sasuke. He had carried her, via _Shunshin_ through the village at blurring speeds and had taken her to the forest where he trained. It was interesting to watch him, his form perfect, his body flawless. She only knew his body was flawless because he was sweating and had taken off his shirt. Usually, Hinata would have blushed, but since really getting to know Sasuke, she felt that this wasn't such a problem anymore.

He glanced over at her, and she smiled. He gave a small grin back and then continued his training. Unfortunately, Hinata couldn't take her eyes off of him. His back was to her, and sweat glistened off his hardened muscles. Most people found sweat rather unappealing, but it seemed to add to Sasuke's naturally amazing physique. It made him look… almost appetizing. Hinata blushed as she thought this, but then smiled again and looked up at the sky with a soft sigh.

If only things could stay like this.

She knew she loved him. But did he love her enough to actually let her stay with him after their 'bargain' was done? After he had his freedom to be away from her, would he boot her out the door, or would he find it hard to let her go. Eventually, these things would surface, but for now… for now, Hinata was content to keep her eyes on the man she loved as he trained.

Everything seemed so perfect. All good things must come to an end…

**Unfortunately, that's all I can pull together right now. I'll try to update again soon. However, on June 4****th****, I'm taking a nice, long, comforting trip to Illinois for more than a month. I'll be back around July 21****st****, and I'll do my best to post while I'm there. Otherwise, I'll jumpstart my muse when I come home and I'll post for ya'll then.**

**That's right. It's back. The Brief Glimpse into the Next Chapter:**

Hinata gasped as she saw Sakura, holding her younger sister. Tears welled up in her eyes as she reached out. Hanabi made eye contact with her older sister, and a silent agreement was made between them. Hinata swallowed and lowered her eyes to the ground, shoulders shaking.

"Fine. But don't hurt Hanabi."

**Wheeee! 'Til next chapter!**

**-Goddess of Glomps**


	8. The Confrontation

**Hey guys and gals. I'm so sorry that it took so long to update this, but my muse has been on the fritz and my stress levels have gone through the roof lately. –Sigh- But! I'm back now! So, without any further ado, let's get to it, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. If only…**

Hinata woke up that morning with a terrible feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. Today was the day. She groaned softly, pushing herself into a sitting position on the bed. Sasuke had refused to sleep on his own bed and had instead set up a small pallet on the floor for him to sleep on. Hinata ran one hand through her hair and then leaned over the bed to look at the sleeping Uchiha. She sighed once before leaning down and brushing a hand across his arm. His eyes opened, and he was immediately awake. Black eyes turned to her and she smiled at him. Neither said a word as Sasuke stood up, realizing what day it was. He moved across the room and pulled out an outfit for himself before holding one up to Hinata. She nodded, and then he picked her up without another word, carrying her into the bathroom to allow her to take a shower first.

After they both took a shower – separately, of course – Sasuke ran through the village, Hinata in his arms, as he made his way to Tsunade's office. Upon entering, Tsunade looked at them as Sasuke gently deposited Hinata in a chair. Tsunade said nothing as Sasuke stood behind Hinata's chair. The Hokage leaned back in her own chair and raised an amused eyebrow before she stood up, pressing one finger to Hinata's cast. The Hyûga gasped softly and then the Hokage removed her finger, sliding the cast off. Hinata moved her leg, smiling up at the Hokage gratefully. Tsunade waved her hand and then looked at Sasuke.

"Leave us, Sasuke," she said. Sasuke said nothing, before walking slowly toward the door. The expression on his face was untrusting at best, but he did it anyway. Hinata shifted slightly, closing her eyes and wincing in preparation for the pain that would come from him leaving the room. However, he stepped across the threshold, and she felt nothing. Sasuke blinked and Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"I told you I'd take it off after a week. Your week is up, isn't it? Good. Now wait outside."

Sasuke shot her a glare before closing the door. The Hokage's eyes fell on Hinata, who stood up and began walking around the room, wanting to get the feeling back in her leg.

"Hinata, has Hanabi ever expressed a desire to become an iryonin?"

Hinata gasped and almost fell over as she spun to turn her eyes on the older woman. She shook her head.

"N-no," the girl stammered and bit her lip. "Why? Is she training for it now?" Tsunade nodded and leaned back.

"Sakura went to your father and asked if she could train Hanabi in the medical arts," Tsunade stated. Hinata bit her lip, but nodded. Tsunade shrugged, seeing that the elder Hyûga didn't look too worried about it. "You and Sasuke can leave now. What you do from here is none of my concern."



Hinata walked outside the door, surprised to see Sasuke still there. He looked at her and then frowned.

"What'd she say, Hinata?" he asked. Hinata bit her lip, but took a deep breath and began walking, knowing that Sasuke would follow.

"She told me that Sakura-san has taken Hanabi to learn medical jutsu," Hinata whispered. Sasuke paused before he swore and grabbed her, _shunshin_ing off so that he could reach the hospital. Hinata blinked, but copied him and hurried after him.

The hospital had been a bust. They hadn't seen Sakura since the day before yesterday, and had never seen Hanabi. Hinata was close to tears, and Sasuke was furious. He turned to Hinata, telling her that they had to go talk to her father to figure out where Hanabi was. So, Hinata was now walking up to the Hyûga district alone, having told Sasuke that his presence would merely upset things. So, Hinata was walking up to her father's house, steeling herself for the altercation.

"F-father?"

Hinata was beginning to hate the familiar shake in her voice as she called out for her father. He walked out from the dojo and gave her a frown. She ignored it and took a deep breath.

"I need to know where Sakura-san took Hanabi," she stated. Though reluctant at first, her father told her and Hinata bowed to him, taking off. He was tempted to ask where she had been for the past week, but realized that it wasn't his business. Therefore, he just went back to the dojo.

Hinata met up with Sasuke at the entrance to the Hyûga district and didn't stop, taking off right past him. He followed her closely, the two of them stopping at an empty clearing.

"Hinata, be quiet," Sasuke stated, glaring at nothing in particular. He didn't like the feel of this, the sinister edge that laced the forest. Hinata nodded and looked around, activating her Byukugan. She looked around, spotting a familiar chakra surge. She caught Sasuke's attention and nodded in the direction. He nodded and took off one way, leaving Hinata. She deactivated it and took a step in the direction, cautiously avoiding what may be a trap. She was terrified for what Sakura would do to Hanabi.

"Stop right there, Hinata."

The familiar voice jarred Hinata, and she paused. She looked at the voice, seeing Sakura's eyes. Hinata gasped as she saw Sakura, holding her younger sister. Tears welled up in her eyes as she reached out. Hanabi made eye contact with her older sister, and a silent agreement was made between them. Hinata swallowed and lowered her eyes to the ground, shoulders shaking.

"Fine. But don't hurt Hanabi."

Sakura laughed at her, shaking her head, pressing the kunai closer to Hanabi's neck. The younger Hyûga looked at the chakra-restraining device on her arm and then looked back at her sister.



"You're in no position to make demands, Hinata." Hinata swallowed, wondering absently where Sasuke had disappeared to. She bit her lip and nodded, watching the pink-haired girl.

"You really thought you were better than me? You thought that you could have Sasuke all to yourself? That's absolutely absurd, Hinata," Sakura stated. Both the Hyûga girls caught the edge of hysteria in her voice and Hanabi looked at Hinata again, her eyes a bit wider this time. Hinata looked away, shaking her head.

"Sakura-chan, it was never my intention to hurt you like this. It just… happened. Please, believe me," Hinata stated. Sakura looked at her, laughing, the hysteria bubbling up. Hanabi took advantage of the laughter, her hand shooting up to grab at Sakura's arm, squeezing tight and trying to yank the kunai away. Sakura pressed one finger to the back of Hanabi's neck, and the younger Hyûga dropped to the ground, unconscious. Hinata's eyes flared and her Byukugan activated as she shot forward, intent on knocking the girl out if at all possible. Sakura got into a position with her kunai and launched herself forward as well.

The two fought for a while, but Sakura was no match for Hinata. The Hyûga landed a hit right on Sakura's sternum, and the medic-nin flew back, slamming into a tree and falling down it. Hinata moved forward, as though to finish her, but stopped, deactivating her Byukugan and kneeling down beside Hanabi, taking her younger sister in her arms as Sasuke dropped from the tree Sakura had slammed against and picked up the pink-haired nin.

"Take Hanabi to her house to get rest. I'm taking Sakura to Tsunade," Sasuke said. Hinata nodded and turned to walk away when Sasuke called her name. Turning around, Hinata found Sasuke right in front of her and she blushed.

"Hey. Come by my house afterwards and we'll have dinner," Sasuke stated. Hinata turned bright red but nodded. Sasuke gave her a cocky smirk before leaning down and kissing her lips gently, taking off afterwards. Hinata blushed, but ran off towards the Hyûga district.

**This chapter was… I guess medium length: 1,320 words after the author's note, and not including this one. Now… Here's the deal. I can either add in one more chapter, just a cutesy little one to make you all go, 'd'awwww', or I can end it here. If you want another chapter, then say so in your review. I'm only going to wait… a week or two. So, you have until then to tell me what you think. Otherwise, this is it, and it's been nice writing for all of you. **

**-G.o.G.**


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